We can only report what we experienced ourselves and we can confidently say we never had any issues. Is The California Pacific Coast Highway Dangerous?
Note: If you plan to drive right through SF, LA and SD – 7 days is more than enough time to make the best stops.
See our example 10 days and 2 weeks road trips at the end for full details. With that being said, our advice is to allow at least 10 days for this amazing road trip from San Francisco to San Diego. We didn’t allow ourselves enough time to make every stop of note along the stunning Pacific coast highway 1 route. In truth, we fell foul to underestimating time needed between SF, LA and SD. Is your goal is to see SF, LA and SD, with the stops in between just a bonus? It is easy to grossly underestimate how many days you need to spend between the big cities to make the most of your road trip. Spend a minimum of 7 days, compromise at 10 days or hit the nail on the head with 2 weeks cruising down the sunny Pacific coast. Technically, you could drive California highway 1 in 10-12 hours without stopping. California Pacific Coast Highway FAQ’s How Long Does It Take To Drive The California Pacific Coast Highway From San Francisco to San Diego? If you plan to hire a car in San Francisco or San Diego to drive the stunning California coastline, compare prices with Rental Cars for best value and most options. Personally, we decided to visit Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Death Valley as part of a wider California road trip before hitting the Pacific Highway Coast from SF to SD.įrom this point on, when we refer to the Pacific Coast Highway we are only including the California portion between San Francisco and San Diego.
The road splits and forms CA-1 which runs as far South as Dana Point between LA and San Diego, before transitioning into I-5 for the last few miles while still sticking tightly to the coastline.Īlthough driving the entire length of the Pacific Highway Coast would be incredible, it is extremely time consuming and most people choose to drive the popular San Francisco to San Diego portion only. Things to do: Photography, Beaches, Small Towns, Major Cities Where Does The Pacific Coast Highway Start and End?Īmerica is blessed with an incredibly scenic coast-hugging highway running almost the entire length of its Pacific seaboard from Seattle to San Diego.īeginning close to Seattle WA, US-101 begins (or ends) in a loop around Olympic National Park and extends as far South as Leggett in Northern California. Total Distance: Approximately 1,650 miles coastal routeįocus Area: San Francisco to San Diego California Pacific Coast Highway Start: Olympic National Park / Seattle, WA States: Washington, Oregon and California San Francisco to San Diego – 2 Weeks Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip California Pacific Coast Highway Factfile